Michigan Wolverines: Rutgers — What Happened and What it Means — Part I
Oct 4, 2014; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Justin Goodwin (32) stiff arms Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jake Ryan (47) during the second half at High Points Solutions Stadium. Rutgers defeated Michigan Wolverines 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Posted at 5:45am — 10/6/2014
Michigan Wolverines: Rutgers — What Happened and What it Means — Part I
Michigan versus Rutgers Game Wrap-up
Raw Deal, Raw Play, or Both
The heartbreak express continued for the Michigan Wolverines, 26-24, Saturday night as Rutgers won its very first Big Ten game in a ballyhooed night game that had to be entertaining to the casual fan not caring about the outcome. The tam showed some improvement but another road loss was the final result.
For Michigan fans, the players, and the coaching staff, Saturday was another venture into what has become a somewhat torturous journey in the 2014 season. The ending was like the hot knife into the wound consequence.
Oct 4, 2014; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach reacts after Michigan scored a touchdown during the first halfagainst Rutgers Scarlet Knights at High Points Solutions Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY SportsTheme number one involves the apparent togetherness and effort of the Michigan team. Coach Hoke stated “I thought out kids played extremely hard and together. “Did we play well the whole time? No, they fought. I’m proud of them.” There is agreement with this sentiment. Although the supreme naysayers and pitchfork crowd would discount or even mock Coach Hoke’s statement, it appeared to be true.
Considering all the shrapnel and darts this staff and team absorbed in the previous week, there did indeed appear to be effort and better play in some areas. Even in defeat, there must be some acknowledgement of this, even though effort should be a basic expectation.
Theme two involves the play of the secondary. The pass rush again failed to make any big plays at big play time. Frank Clark gets to the quarterback and again whiffs on a critical play. The linebackers blitz the middle, get caught up and stop, and leave an opening for more big plays. Countess and Clark got absolutely torched on a routine play action post pattern down the pipe for one of the longest and easiest touchdowns Michigan has given up in ages. The screen game again hit Michigan with good calls that Michigan could not either sniff out or cover. As a combination of scheme and execution the drag patterns over the middle remain deadly to Michigan’s defensive play.
Oct 4, 2014; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Gary Nova (10) drops back to pass during the first half against Michigan Wolverines at High Points Solutions Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY SportsTheme three: make the big play, this matches with theme two above. Numerous times defense stopped the Rutger’s running game and then gave up monster, crushing plays on third down and long. Simply put, this team has not made plays at crunch time. There is no magic pill remedy, someone has to beat a man to the quarterback and the defensive backfield must be given help.
Whether the offense or the defense, at critical times bad results have become a predictable pattern. Some of this can be attributed to mental toughness and old-fashioned grit, some to confidence, and some to bad decisions by staff and players. It is so deflating to a team when the opposing offense is boxed into a bad situation only to spring plays that not only yield big plays and first downs, but also change the entire momentum of the game. This trait is linked to leadership, leadership by doing and the poster player for this theme is a senior defensive end getting to the spot and reaching out weakly instead of getting the proper angle, wrapping up and driving through the quarterback.
Part II later today.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff — Doc4Blu
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